Memories
by I-Dont-Like-I-Obsess
Summary: Escaping the Doctor and Viper, I'm quickly learning, was the easy part. Out in the real world there are no rules, and no one to trust but yourself. I will write down my life story through this journal on the slim chance that someone out there actually cares. This notebook, Madeline's final gift to me, is now my gift to you, dear reader. *COMPANION TO THE LIFE I LIVE*
1. April 23, 1998

A/N- This story is the companion story to 'The Life I Live.' I would recommend reading that before starting this one. Chronologically, this is Summer's childhood and past before meeting the Heart Pirates. I may add entries dated after her joining the crew, based on this story's reception.

Note: In the original story, Summer is 23. I am going to assume that One Piece takes place in modern day so, staying with that timeline, Summer was born in 1991. The first entries take place when she was seven, so I attempted to write similar to how a seven year old would. As she grows older, her thoughts will mature. Likewise, the beginning entries will most likely be shorter because of her limited knowledge.

I've been excited to write this and hope it you enjoy it. :)

* * *

April 23, 1998:

I want to leave.

Everyone hates me but I don't know why.

They always yell at me when I go near the buildings.

Madeline is gone. She died, and I'm sad. She always smiled.

I'm alone.

My stomach always hurts.

The woods aren't scary anymore, but sometimes I hear the people walking around.

They always sound so angry, and they carry big torches.

Sometimes they bring big forks with pointy ends and they poke the bushes with them.

I don't know why.

There's a boat on the island that no one uses.

Maybe I can be happy somewhere else.

Maybe I'll make friends and have fun like the other kids do.

* * *

A/N- This story is a work in progress. Please review and tell me what you think or anything you suggest I change. Suggestions are always welcome. I would very much appreciate your feedback.


	2. October 8, 1998

A/N- I do not own One Piece. However, Summer is my OC.

* * *

October 8, 1998:

I'm really hungry, and it's starting to get cold.

The people act really nice to each other, but they are always rude to the kids on the street. Sometimes they kick us aside and curse us out.

The weather is getting cold, and I don't have a jacket. I hope I can find one in the trash somewhere. If I don't, I'll have to steal one.

I don't wanna steal. My stomach grumbles and it makes me do bad things. Joshua says hunger makes you smarter and better at surviving. He helps the poor kids on the street, and he's really good at stealing. One time, he stole the belt from around a man's waist while he was talking to him.

I'm not good at stealing. If I get caught, they beat me. My face still hurts from when the woman hit me. I'm getting better, I can steal from food stands sometimes.

My shoes are breaking, they don't fit anymore. I still have to wear them, and my feet hurt. But the ground is cold. It hurts to walk on the cold ground too.

I miss Madeline. She would know what to do.

* * *

A/N- Please review and PM me any suggestions you may have. :)


	3. December 19, 1998

A/N-Another chapter! Hooray! :D

I probably should be writing the main story, but I felt that I was abusing this one, and I do need to keep this one up to par as well. I'm so mean to my babies! :o

* * *

December 19, 1998:

I've started to sleep in the alleys with the bigger kids. They say they'll give us food if we do what they say. I listen to Kitten, but I don't think that's her real name. Kittens are nice and soft, but she is mean and angry all the time.

If we don't do what she says the right way, she hits us. But I don't want to be alone anymore. It's better than being alone.

The snow is everywhere. It's really white on top of the houses, but the snow gets all dirty on the street. Whenever horses go by, they splash the slush into the alleys and get us wet. Then we have to make a fire and take off our clothes. I don't know why we have to take them off.

I have a friend now. He listens to Kitten too, but he's a little older than me. Everyone calls him Stick. He's really skinny. We always sleep close together because we can stay warmer that way. He doesn't talk, but that's ok.

I can steal kind of good now. I stole shoes and a jacket, so now I'm warmer. The boy they belonged to looked really fat, and his mommy had lots of pretty things on her fingers and on her neck. I wish I had pretty things.

I think it's my birthday today, but I can't really remember. I hope it is, so I grow tall and be a big girl.

* * *

A/N-I'm hoping that I'm not making Summer's past sound overly cliche or anything like that, but I do want to emphasize the fact that Summer didn't have a childhood at all. Her entire life was spent surviving in any way she could. I hope I'm portraying that to some effect...

Anyway, see you in the next entry! :)


	4. February 23, 2002

A/N-I'm back!

This chapter is a few years after the last, so Summer is about 10 or 11.

I'm hoping to update this companion story more frequently now that I'm getting farther into the original.

Anyways, enjoy!

* * *

February 23, 2002

Stick is gone. No one's seen him for two days. Maybe he got lucky and someone 'adopted him.' Doubt it, though. He wouldn't just let someone take him. He's probably dead in some alley somewhere. Guess I'll miss him...

Kitten's started having me steal from riskier targets, like businessmen and stores. The small vendors aren't much of a challenge anymore, but they're an easy snack now and then. The idiots don't even know anything goes missing.

I guess Kitten is beginning to trust me or something. Not that I care. She likes to brag that I'm her 'favorite.' It seems like she's always around, always watching me. It's creepy.

The pirates that come around here are pretty cool. They smell bad, but when they get drunk it's always fun to watch. One guy even set the fish vendor's stand on fire!

Kitten gave me this awesome knife or whatever. She showed me how to use it to fight, told me never to lose it and all that. Now I'm not one of the defenseless brats, I can hold my own.

I'd like to see someone try and hit me again.

* * *

A/N-Once again, review and PM me with any suggestions!

For those of you who read 'The Life I Live,' I recommend following this as well so you are notified when it is updated! Updates come randomly when I can get some inspiration!

Also! I will include OC's from this story on my Deviantart as well as those from the original, so be sure to check out the page frequently when new characters are introduced.

See you in the next chapter!


	5. February 28, 2002

A/N- Here's another chapter. The action begins now. :)

* * *

February 28, 2002

Everyone is a liar. Kitten, the other beggars, the townspeople. All liars. They all think I'm stupid or something, that I'll fall for whatever they tell me.

The only person I can trust is myself, and Stick, if he were here. We've stopped looking for him, and they tell me he's dead, but I refuse to believe that. He's stronger than them. He wouldn't just die like that.

Kitten's gotten creepier over the past few days, always by my side. She never leaves me alone. It's a miracle I could get away long enough to even write this down.

Nevermind, she's calling my name again. Something about another raid in the town. I'll write more when we finish.

* * *

I am such an idiot. Captured by some pirate dude and taken prisoner aboard their ship. He's pretty creepy-looking too. Why is everyone so creepy?

He said his name was Viper, but I think he's lying. No one uses their real name these days anyway. Hell, Kitten doesn't sound like a real name either.

Speaking of her, she sold me out. She didn't even step in when the guy backhanded me across the face. Just stood there with this weird look on her face and ran off. If I ever see her again, I'm gonna kill her.

I don't know what these guys want with me, but I can't stay here. They have me in some cage in the bottom deck. They took my knife away, but I still have my notebook. I'll write down whatever I see so I can remember everything. Who knows when it'll come in handy.

It's so dark down here I can't see past the bars. Most of them are rusty or...is that blood? I can't tell what it is. Oh God, it's on the floor too. Yeah, it's definitely blood. I got it on my hands...

They didn't shackle me or anything, just threw me in here with some food. That was a few hours ago, and they haven't come back since.

The only good thing here is they fed me. A whole meal, too. Nothing like the small snacks we had in the streets. Some kind of meat, an apple and a bread roll. I can't remember the last time I've had fresh bread. Probably never.

I can't think negatively, I have to find a way to get out of here.

* * *

A/N- At last, the introduction of that guy we all hate!

Review and PM me with any suggestions you may have! I would love to hear them!

See you in the next chapter!


	6. March ?, 2002

A/N- Another chapter!

I'm pleased with the turnout of this companion story so far, and the action should really begin soon!

Note: Splits in the story represent a second entry written on the same day, just to clear up any confusion.

* * *

March ?, 2002

First escape attempt: failure.

These small utensils they give me to eat with can pack a hit. The guy who comes to bring me food had no idea how strong I actually was, so he never saw it coming. He might need a few stitches or something, given that he had a rusty knife protruding from his cheek when he ran screaming out the door, but I'm no doctor.

After that they shackled my hands together. I can still eat and write, but it's difficult. They haven't discovered the journal yet, and that's exactly how I'm going to keep it. They can't take away the last piece of my sister.

Lately, there's been a lot of cannonfire outside. It freaks me out a little each time they go off. I mean, a freakin' cannonball could come straight through the hull and kill me! Sometimes the ship rocks back and forth violently, which isn't very pleasant either.

That Viper guy has started to come visit me or whatever. This officially proves my point, he is a creeper. He brings in a chair and 'chats' with me for awhile. The guy's really perfected the stalker smile, and he never turns on the lights.

The questions he asks are really weird too. What am I afraid of? Am I stressed most of the time? Do I get sudden bouts of unexplainable anger? Hell yes, I'm being kept in a freakin' cage by a freakin' creep on some creepy-ass freakin' ship! Why wouldn't I feel stressed?

Even after he leaves, it feels like someone is still watching me. Sometimes I have nightmares about him, and then I wake up to see I'm still in the same place.

* * *

Second escape attempt: big freakin' failure.

The replacement food delivery guy didn't have the keys either. I know I don't have rabies, but he might want to get a shot just in case. That bite mark on his neck looks pretty cool too. But the metal cuff around my own is anything but stylish.

Still don't know what day it is. They don't bother to give me a calendar or anything. I have no idea where we're going either and it doesn't look like anyone's going to tell me any time soon. Whenever I ask Viper, he only smiles and tells me 'You'll know soon enough.'

So to sum it all up: still stuck in the cage, now shackled by the hands and neck, Viper still being creepy. Still very pissed off, although I'm eating a lot more than I ever did on the street. I'm not as skinny as I used to be, and they aren't beating me or anything, so that's a plus. I'm starting to think that this place isn't so bad…

Except for the shackles. I still hate those.

* * *

A/N- Well, there's that!

Review and PM me with any suggestions, I would love to hear them!

The next chapter is already halfway written, so it should be posted soon!


	7. April 13, 2002

A/N- Yay, another chapter! :D We like those!

The good stuff really starts to pick up from here on out, and there is a very good chance (probably a definite chance) that the rating will go up for upcoming chapters. Violence will be the main reason, but there may be other content as well.

Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

April 13, 2002

This is a whole lot bigger problem than I first thought.

Viper came down into my cell and unchained me, then he dragged me outside and threw me on the deck. I hadn't seen sunlight for a month or something so it was absolutely blinding. Then he let his crew manhandle me as they shoved me to the plank way.

I noticed we had landed at an island. It was covered with snow and there was a big gray building ahead of us. It looked pretty creepy. Anyway, his crew kept pushing me until I ended up tripping and sliding down the rest of the way. I didn't have a jacket on so the snow felt freezing as heck.

We all walked towards the building and some doctor guy greeted us. The glasses and bad hair made me think he was homeless or something, but the really white coat and black shirt made it obvious he wasn't. Then Viper and him started talking, but I only remember some of what they said.

"Here she is, just like I promised. Now where's my money, Doc?" The doctor walked over and handed him a small bag of money, I assumed. He didn't look happy about it though.

"Please do remember you will be taking her back out to sea with you when you are called upon. Each time she is returned you and your crew will be rewarded." The guy's voice was pretty rough, and he kept staring at me with a weird look. I didn't know what they were talking about, nothing made sense.

They said some other stuff and then Viper and his crew left. Some of them made mocking faces at me, so I stuck my tongue back at them. The doctor touched my shoulder and when I turned around he was standing right behind me.

"Welcome to your new home." He said.

So now, I'm currently in a super white room with this weird gown that doesn't really fit right. The back doesn't even attach, so I have to keep my back to the wall. It's super embarrassing. There's metal tables and everything smells like this sour stuff, but I have no idea what it is.

The whole floor is tile and the ceiling have lights that were way too bright. I can't look up without being blinded. There are no windows, but a sink is in the corner.

I can hear someone coming. I'll write later when I get the chance.

* * *

Maybe this place isn't so bad. The doctor from before came in and told me why I was here. Apparently, I've got some rare disease that they need to find a cure for. He even said sorry for how Viper treated me. It wasn't his fault, that guy was creepy all his own.

He said that he needed my help to research the cure, and that I would be going through some therapy and stress tests to see if that stimulates something or other. He used really complicated words so I kinda spaced out. I asked him what day it was so now I'm not so confused.

When I asked him if I would get my knife back, he gave me another weird look and told me no. That's a bummer but he kinda smiled and said that they could see about teaching me other ways to fight if the tests went well. Maybe they'll teach me kung fu or something awesome like that.

I asked for his name, but he just said to call him Doctor. The strange part was, he already knew my name and I don't remember telling anyone what it was. Oh well, I must've slipped that to Viper sometime during the journey here.

He said that after they do some tests on me, I would be moved to my own room. That's sounds pretty cool, I just hope there's no chains and shackles.

We'll see how things go from here. But I can feel it, things are looking up for the best.

* * *

A/N- Well, another entry to little Summer's journal.

I really hope you guys are enjoying this story so far. I also hope it gives you so insight into TLIL and helps to clarify any questions. I also hope you like how this is being written and where it's going! :D

See you in the next entry!


	8. April 28, 2002

A/N- Back with another entry!

I'm really excited how this story is progressing, and hopefully you guys feel the same!

Having another angle on TLIL just feels really cool to write.

Anyways, enough of me!

* * *

April 28, 2002

It's been… 15 days since I got here. And I still have no idea what is wrong with me. I get that I'm sick, but no one will actually say what it is.

Every once in awhile I'll see some of the doctors' glances when I'm nearby. They're filled with fear and disgust. When I walk into a room, they all seem to hush up and try to find something to do. Maybe they think I don't notice but no one really talks to me and they stay as far away from me as possible.

There's something they're not telling me but even when I ask The Doctor, (he still hasn't given me his name) he only shakes his head and tells me it's a devastating virus. All this secrecy leaves me with a ton of questions and none of them are being answered.

What's more, their therapy sessions are getting weirder. The first day was a 'routine checkup' as they called it. They took my blood and hit my knee with this hammer thing. Apparently the results weren't what they wanted to see, as they didn't let me get a look at it.

A few days after that, they gave me some shots. I learned that needles are scary and I never want another shot again. They told me that once I got them I would never have to get another one so that was good.

The next day, they brought me to this big round machine. They said to lay on the table and the machine started to hum really loudly. Then this thing kept circling my head a bunch times and I started to get kind of nauseous.* I didn't throw up though.

So far, nothing's really happened. Mostly, I just walk around my room and draw on the pieces of paper they gave me. There's not much else to do, since there's no window and they won't let me wander around.

I don't even feel that sick! The only time I felt sick was on the streets, and that was mostly the hunger setting in. I don't know why they're so worried, I feel fine.

* * *

A/N- Well, that's that!

Please review and PM me with any suggestions, I would love more than anything to hear them!

See you in the next entry!


	9. May 25, 2002

A/N- I know I haven't updated for awhile, but that's because of my long list of excuses that you probably don't want to hear anyway! :D

This entry begins to go over the type of treatment Summer endures during her stay at this lab. The dates will probably start to become farther apart from each other because of how her treatment is affecting her psyche.

* * *

May 25, 2002

What the hell kind of place is this? These tests, or whatever they want to call them, are sickening. I'm starting to think these guys aren't medical doctors. I don't know much about medicine, but even I know some things shouldn't be done to a human.

They took me to this room without any lights inside and told me to stand in the corner. Then they shut the door and left me alone! I started to panic and looked for the door again but it was so dark I couldn't find it! The walls and floors were so cold.

I started crying out for someone but nobody heard me. Or they heard me and did nothing. I couldn't stop crying after that. I kept thinking I saw things in the darkness but I couldn't really tell if they were real or not. One of them looked like a person with huge claws...I think.

It must have been hours before they came and got me. I was starving and cold and lonely. The Doctor came to get me and told me that they had made progress on my sickness. I kept trying to kick him but the nurses held me back. After that, they kept talking about me like I wasn't even there! They used the word subject a lot.

I told the Doctor to never leave me alone like that again and he said he promised he wouldn't. When I yelled at him to say sorry, he did. But he didn't look like he really meant it. Then they took me back to my room. I'm starting to remember where all the hallways lead, so maybe I can find my own way around one day.

This place is really starting to scare me. I hope I don't have to stay that long.

* * *

The Doctor found out about my journal. I thought he was gonna take it from me but he actually told me I was doing a good job. I think he called it...documentation or something. Anyways, he said that it was important to my recovery that I write everything down. He even gave me a new pencil to use since mine was started to get really small. Then he patted my head and left my room.

* * *

A/N- Thank you for reading! I really appreciate it! :D

Please review and PM me with any suggestions you may have! I haven't gotten any feedback from this story so far, but I would really like to know what you guys think about it or if you have any problems with anything!

See you in the next entry!


	10. June 4, 2002

A/N- I'm trying to make up for my slacking off by writing up several chapters quickly!

For those of you who are confused in any way, I suggest reading The Life I Live before continuing on! If you are still confused, shoot me a message and I will clear up any confusion!

This chapter begins to show how far Summer's mental state has degraded in the month or so she had been in the hands of 'The Doctor.'

The _italicized words_ in this entry are those written by Nemesis. She begins to make her presence known to us. :)

* * *

June 4, 2002

This place...this place is evil! I...I have to leave. EVERYONE IS EVIL! **EVERYONE.** I hate the Doctor, and the nurses, and the tests, and experiments, and my sickness…

THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH ME! I feel perfectly healthy! Why don't they see that? Because they're all so damn EVIL.

The tests...the tests...make them stop. They kill me...kill me...killme killme killmekillme…

I just want the suffering to end! I want to go away! PLEASE MAKE IT GO AWAY! Why don't they just get rid of me?

I can't focus on anything. The room is spinning…

* * *

So much water…I can't breathe, can't breathe. Again and again, the blackness gets me. Oh, God the blackness. They kill me, over and over again. AGAIN AND AGAIN. I wake up and it starts over again. It's a nightmare. I'm living a nightmare!

QUIT BRINGING ME BACK! I WANT TO DIE!

If they want to kill me, why haven't they done it already? Please...just get it over with!

* * *

_I was wise to choose this human as my container. I am closer than I have ever come to ending my suffering._

_It has not been easy for her. Her imprisonment has damaged her mental abilities. Each experiment brings her closer to death-poison, suffocation, loss of blood, starvation, isolation...her experiences are painful for even me to hear. I shall lend her aid, only to see that my goal is achieved. I have come too far to begin again._

_Even this day, the experiments continue. The vessel withstood 12 trials of near drowning. Her endurance is impressive, how long she can hold out, however, is yet to be seen. The humans that test her show no mercy. They are aware of my existence. From what I have witnessed they continue to attempt to eject me from my container. For what reason I cannot say, though they will quickly find that I am not so easily summoned._

* * *

Who wrote this? WHO WROTE THIS?

Did I write this? I don't remember writing this! What does it even mean!? I don't understand!

WHO AM I ANYMORE!? I WANT TO GO HOME!

* * *

Home...home...go home...home...home...want to go home...home…

…

Do I have a home anymore?

* * *

A/N- As you can see, this chapter is very bracketed. That is because several entries were written on the same day with time intervals in between each one. This might come off as annoying, but I think it is necessary. I apologize if it is not something you prefer.

Please leave a review, they are immensely helpful! I would love you forever.:D

See you in the next entry!


	11. June 11, 2004

A/N- Hi, hi! Back again!

Ah! We have another small time skip! This chapter is set 2 years after the last one.

If you don't remember, Summer had a severe mental breakdown in the last chapter; she was becoming full blown psychotic. As much as I feel that Summer has to retain her mental fragility, writing a crazy person's perspective for multiple chapters straight is extremely hard. So the chapters will regain their fluidity and composure, but that does not mean Summer is mentally stable. She's just had two years to 'adjust' and lots of medication for the psychosis.

* * *

June 11, 2004

Month 26 of captivity and still no way out. I've looked everywhere the staff lets me roam and I haven't found anything that will help me. No slightly rusted bars of metal that cover the small windows, no doors ajar that lead to the outside, though that wouldn't really help me. Outside boasts nothing but snow.

I guess I should hate the snow. It's the thing keeping me trapped in this evil place, preventing me from breaking out and stealing a boat. I should despise the very sight of it, but I can't bring myself to come anywhere close. It's so happy and light and free. Everything I'm not. I'm jealous of the snow, envious. It dances in the air while I'm forced to sit in the corner of my room, my cell.

But I don't hate it. It's been my constant companion, the one normal thing I have left. Sometimes I think I see people through the dense swirl of fluffy flakes, only to realize it's a passing cloud or a fallen tree branch. The white crystals beckon and whisper, promising an escape from my very real nightmare. Sometimes I dream of the snow, the white abyss, the cold...

The Doctor saws I've been 'adapting nicely.' Whatever the hell that means. If he thinks he's got me conditioned to actually _enjoy_ my stay here, than he's got another thing coming to him.

It's hard to keep track of the escape count, but something tells me it's up to about 6 now. The last one would have worked if the janitor hadn't found me in the supply closet last night. He even took back the research lab key I had stolen. Now I'm restricted to Wing A as they call it. All it is is the hallway my room is in in addition to the small sitting room where I'm taught 'manners.'

The lady they have instructing me is a piece of work. She's tiny; I'm only 12 and already a head taller than her. When I mentioned that fact she whipped out her yardstick and smacked me across the forehead. The mark lasted a whole week. She's got a wicked temper which she isn't afraid of showing when she deems I'm not paying attention.

I don't see why they bother teaching me these things when their experiments are still happening. Afterwards, I just want to lay down and die but they have cameras in my room so I can't try anything. Being forced to live is more painful than I imagine dying would be.

Since my psychotic episode, as everyone seems to call it, I've been prescribed lots of different pills and medications. The names of some of them are ridiculous. Resperidone, Zoloft, Prozac, Depakote. The bottles don't say what their for which doesn't really help at all.

It's become so bad I actually look forward to the times when Viper takes me back out to sea. At least I'm not choked to the point that I lose consciousness or strapped to an electric chair, or pumped so full of drugs I can't get out of bed. Though sailing with him is a different kind of torture.

His crew leers at me. Everywhere I go, I feel their stares following me. Sleeping is terrifying as well. I could get raped at any moment if I'm not careful. I don't have a personal room onboard so I sleep in Viper's personal quarters. That really isn't any better, but at least he hasn't made any advances...yet.

I'm still a virgin. I just don't know how long I'll be able to claim that.

* * *

Since Viper brought be back to the lab a week ago, I'll be staying for awhile. The Doctor mentioned something about more prolonged testing, so it may be longer than usual. Yippee…

The weirdest thing happened after I got back from another trip with Viper. The Doctor _smiled at me._ He _genuinely smiled._ Not once since my initial arrival has he done that for real. I actually had to stop dead and stare at it, just to be sure it was real. It was gone before I knew it, so I don't know if I even saw it at all.

He's been nicer lately, letting me explore different parts of the place. This small freedom is enough to keep me sated for now, I suppose. I'm not sure if he doesn't know that I'm looking for escape routes or if he's just confident that I won't find any. The latter is my guess, he's too observant to see past my blatant dislike of this place.

Whatever it is that's got him so positive, I'm not complaining. He's a lot easier to deal with when he's not looking at me in disapproval and ordering the next round of tests.

* * *

A/N- I hope you enjoyed it! Well, as much as a person _can_ enjoy Summer's torture. If you actually do enjoy it...well, to each his own.

Please please _please_ leave a review! They are super wonderful and helpful!


	12. July 18, 2004

A/N- I really appreciate the feedback that you guys have given! It really makes my day!

If there is an OC that you want me to make a pic of, just let me know!

* * *

July 18, 2004

Today, the Doctor told me he had a surprise for me. He's never done anything like this before, so I didn't know what to expect. He brought me back to Wing A into my etiquette room and told me to close my eyes. When I did, he opened the door and pushed me through, then told me to open them.

Inside was a small piano. It was shiny and black and beautiful. Sadly, I don't know how to play piano. It's a gorgeous piece nonetheless. Then he told me something even more surprising. A man came in through the door and informed me that he was my piano instructor. I think today was the first time I've actually smiled in a long time.

I can't wait to start my lessons. I just hope my instructor isn't as rough as my etiquette teacher.

* * *

Snow that lives so free,

Come and save me.

Take me away,

Don't make me stay.

...

Your cold is bliss.

Like death's sweet kiss.

Take me back,

Into the black.

...

White and soft,

Held aloft.

All things die,

And so must I.

...

So take me home,

And let me roam.

I'll close my eyes,

And never rise.

...

Please...

* * *

A/N- Another entry complete! The second half happened after another experiment, or test, whatever you wanna call it so Summer is super depressed...

Please leave a review and let me know how I'm doing!

See you in the next entry!


	13. September 29, 2004

A/N-Hi! Here's another chapter for you!

I know this story is super depressing, but here's a tip from me! Once Summer gets out of the hands of the Doctor and Viper, it will start to become less angsty and more into the survival and action aspect.

I'm glad this is receiving good comments, but I would still like to hear what _you _think!

I really wanted to incorporate music into the story, so there will be certain songs she plays during the story! I will post links to those when they come! :D

**Hitsugaya Hibari Nico Robin-** It's actually a poem, but I guess songs and poems are essentially the same thing! :) Summer has developed a habit of writing when she is suicidal and depressed after an experiment.

* * *

**September 29, 2004**

My piano lessons were coming along nicely, I've really gotten the hang of playing. And then Viper came and picked me up.

Right now, we're sailing towards some spring island that's supposed to have the weirdest plant life you've ever seen. That's what everyone says, at least.

Maybe I can slip past whoever is guarding me and steal a boat somewhere. Hopefully it's Big Fella, he's fat and slow and can't outrun me. I don't think Viper would be that stupid though. This would make it escape attempt number 9.

The tests have actually decreased in number, thank God too, because they were starting to be more and more sickening.

While they still do physical tests, most of them now are psychological. They locked me in a room with nothing but white walls and there was a puppy in the middle. There was a dagger on the floor next to it and they told me I had to kill him to leave the room.

The poor thing looked malnourished and beaten. All he did was lay on the floor meekly, curling into himself when I came closer.

I threw the dagger to the other side of the room and held the little thing in my arms. From the looks of it, he wouldn't last very long anyway. I decided to just lay there until he died naturally.

I guess the scientists didn't like that, because they sent someone bursting into the room. He was obviously a doctor, judging by the scrubs he wore, but he held a gun in his hand. He ripped me away from the puppy and, without any hesitation, shot it in the head.

I yelled and yelled at him as to why he shot it, why he killed it, why he didn't just let it die naturally, why I had to kill it in the first place! He only looked at me sternly and said this.

"Things live and die. It is the nature of this world. It is up to us to decide whether they should pass when it is their time or end their miserable suffering. You'll have to make tough choices in the future, Summer, so you'd better start preparing yourself for them."

Then he left and I cried in the corner for a long time.

* * *

We landed on the island and sure enough, the plants are ridiculous! None of the trees are green, the grass is freakin' blue, most of the fruits here have the wrong colors (oranges are now red), and I'm stuck with Viper himself as my escort.

Scratch my escape attempt today. He won't even let go of my arm, let alone keep his eyes off me. I get this chill up my spine no matter what I do. His fingers are kinda greasy too. I'm probably gonna need a new shirt if he keeps gripping my sleeve like that.

The people were really nice. Unfortunately, being with pirates doesn't exactly make you welcome. There was a little boy that fell on the ground and scraped his knee, but when I approached him to help, the mother ran up and cursed me away. I guess I can understand their fear. They act just like the people on Terra Nova: they don't let me close and try to get rid of me at every opportunity.

Viper's men are cruel to the people. If pretty young women pass by, they'll make grabs for them. I feel bad, but the only thing I can think of is that at least it's not me this time.

Despite the sneers they give the people, I can't help but feel our stay here won't end up in flames.

* * *

I was wrong.

It took all of three hours for everything to go to hell, and Viper just had to drag me down with it. Damn bastard…

I tried to warn the people, tell them to evacuate and leave while they could, but nobody listened. Maybe I wasn't yelling loud enough, maybe I wasn't coming across as urgent enough, maybe they thought it was some prank, I don't know. All I know is that I failed at saving anyone.

Viper likes to start with the kids. He'll torch the schoolhouse or the orphanage first thing and watch as the mothers are left weeping at the edge of the flames. He gets off on it. It's disgusting.

When he kills, it's like this darkness consumes his soul, slowly eating away at his reason and sanity. As the kills get worse, so does his enjoyment of them. The easy kills don't please him anymore, they aren't good enough. It doesn't take long for him to feel the need to skin someone alive or burn them at a stake to get any satisfaction out of it.

I can't unsee any of these horrific scenes, I know they'll haunt me forever. I brought it up one time to Viper that the Doctor wouldn't want me to go insane while in his care. He only laughed it off and ordered his men to beat me.

To be honest, I've started becoming used to the sight of it. The only scarring thing now is the sound...

The screams won't go away...

* * *

A/N- And that is that! Yes, I know, more angsty Summer. You are probably sick of it by now, but her past experiences are very important to her character! I'm trying to speed it along at a reasonable pace, but spanning that long of a time in only a few chapters is really tough!

Please leave a review! I really would appreciate them as they help me continue writing!

See you in the next entry!


	14. November 3, 2004

A/N- As you've noticed, I haven't updated either of my stories in a hell of a long time. I deeply apologize, but I just haven't had the motivation or the inspiration to write lately. I may have to put both stories on hiatus if I don't get the motivation soon, but I will try to prevent that at all costs.

**Hitsugaya Hibari Nico Robin-** I will be sure to start a Viper Hate Club! I'm sure there will be just as many members as Kat's Hate Club! :) And thank you, it took me a long time to get the poem to where I wanted it.

**Guest (L)-** There's still a lot more ground to cover before Summer is actually caught and put in prison so she will have ample time to gain all of her skills! And don't give up on Liam yet, Law is on his way. :) I do have to thank you deeply for giving me the motivation to write this chapter though. Without reading your review, who knows how long it would have taken me to put this entry out? Again, thank you!

* * *

November 3, 2004

Is there a God? Is there really a guy up high in the clouds that commands the world around us? Could he really exist? _Does_ he exist? Because if he does, I'd like to know what exactly I did to piss him off so much that I deserved this.

It may be selfish, but why couldn't this happen to someone else, anyone else? Why me? What is so damn special about me?

The Doctor says that if there were a God, science wouldn't have the need to exist. I don't believe him to that extent, but I'm starting to doubt if the big guy up there really is real.

* * *

The Doctor and I have an uneasy relationship right now. I hate him to the darkest depths of the seventh level of Hell, but he's the one that dictates my tests and punishments. This is the only reason I tolerate him with a semi-acceptable attitude. When I'm not taking his orders and tests without question, I'm silently wishing he would die in a hole somewhere.

Piano lessons are going very well, I can play harder songs now and I'm allowed to be in the room by myself now. Once I stop playing though, the guard outside checks up on me as if I could just disappear from the room. It's pathetic.

I haven't tried to escape in a long time. Not because I don't want to, I just can't find any more methods to try. The vents are a no-go. They've all been sealed off. They check me every day for sharp objects on my person so I can't secretly chisel a hole behind my bed or something. I'm running out of ideas. The supply boat is supposed to come in a month or so. Maybe I'll wait til then…

* * *

The Doctor mentioned something about combat training to me after one of the tests, but I wasn't really paying attention. At the time all I wanted to do was play piano, so I went to do that. Only now has it dawned on me what he was saying. I should be happy, stoked even. I've always wanted to learn how to fight, but with the offer coming from _him..._I know there's another reason behind it.

Madeline...I miss you so much. Why can't I be where you are…

Is God with you?

Do you think he'll take me in too?

* * *

A/N- I've always personally thought that Summer would be an atheist, but I'm experimenting with giving her a religious side. What do you think? Would Summer be religious or do you think she wouldn't believe in a god at all? Tell me what you think.

Please leave a review, I would love you forever because I am really struggling to write right now!

See you in the next entry!


	15. December 8-9, 2004

A/N- Yes, I know. Super late on the update. I'm a horrible writer. I would tell you my excuses but I know you don't wanna hear them. Anyway, here you are. A much longer chapter where the action really begins to take place! We've been stuck in the lab this whole time. I felt it was time to get out!

**Son of Whitebeard-** I'm not quite sure what you mean by disabled. Do you mean mentally disabled by her sudden episodes of severe depression?

**fooey1234567-** Hopefully this chapter is long enough to your tastes! It was difficult to write long entries while she was held captive because, let's be honest, not much happens in one day while she was a prisoner.

**Hitsugaya Hibari Nico Robin-** I'm not sure if I'll ever have Summer be truly religious, even after she meets the Heart Pirates, but it is still something I toss around here and there to experiment with her character. Who knows? Maybe she'll eventually become a nun or something. :) And I'm glad you are enjoying this side of Summer!

This chapter is set up a little bit different as it is two days combined into one entry. Hope you like it.

* * *

December 8, 2004

This is it. This is my chance.

The Doctor expects me to go with Viper tomorrow, which just happens to be the same day the supply boat leaves. He's been kinda lax with keeping guard over me the past few days. I guess he thinks I've given up on leaving. Well, I'd love to see the look on his face when he realizes I'm never coming back. He's planned one more test before Viper is supposed to take me, and then I will be able to plan my escape.

Tomorrow is the day, and I know now that I have nothing to lose. I've already lost it all anyway.

* * *

"The free bird leaps

on the back of the wind

and floats downstream

till the current ends

and dips his wings

in the orange sun rays

and dares to claim the sky.

But a bird that stalks

down his narrow cage

can seldom see through

his bars of rage

his wings are clipped and

his feet are tied

so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings

with fearful trill

of the things unknown

but longed for still

and his tune is heard

on the distant hill

for the caged bird

sings of freedom

The free bird thinks of another breeze

and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees

and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn

and he names the sky his own.

But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams

his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream

his wings are clipped and his feet are tied

so he opens his throat to sing

The caged bird sings

with a fearful trill

of things unknown

but longed for still

and his tune is heard

on the distant hill

for the caged bird

sings of freedom."

* * *

December 9, 2004

I decided I would write two journal entries since I'm not sure what will happen after this. Once I've made it to the boat I'll write again.

The nurse brought in my food for breakfast, and I was so excited for today that I almost said good morning. But I can't have people getting suspicious so I just stared at her like usual. I don't think she suspected something was different, she just got up and left.

Viper is supposed to come in at noon, but the supply boat leaves earlier, probably at ten. Hopefully I'll be alive after that to write another entry.

Wishing myself luck, since no one else will.

* * *

Oh my God, I'm still alive! I made it! I really made it! It feels like my heart is going to explode out of my chest but I freakin' made it.

I asked the Doctor if I could grab a snack from the kitchen, which I've taken to doing lately. He waved it off and told me to stay away from the food for tonight's dinner. When I got there it was almost 9:50. I had it timed perfectly. Before I had left, I put together a little bag with a sheet from my bed. It didn't have much of anything in it, just the practice knife my combat trainer had let me sneak out of the training room and a few trinkets the nicer nurses would bring me on occasion.

I went to the back of the kitchen storage where they kept all the boxes. In the back was a window and a door, and I immediately saw that huge boat they make supply runs with. It was docked in some kind of gigantic cave, or a tunnel or something. But it sat right behind the kitchen, so that was pretty cool. All these guys were bringing the boxes nearby on board, but nobody was looking towards me.

I looked around and made sure nobody saw me sneaking around, but I spotted a few water bottles and a few rolls of crackers. I packed them into my bag too before I opened the back door as quietly as I could. I closed it in a hurry, but it still didn't make a sound as it shut. There was an open box close to where I was standing, and it looked big enough for me to fit in. Glancing around one more time, I jogged over and looked inside. The big wooden box was filled with some kind of fish native to this island. I wrinkled my nose from the smell but there really wasn't any choice at this point.

I threw my makeshift bag into the box and climbed in after it, forcing myself to get used to the smell and not gag. Realizing that I was still much too exposed, I reluctantly started to bury my body under the hundreds of fish. They were hard to grip, most of them still wet and their scales were slimy and sticky. I tried not to get any of it in my mouth but I still can taste it.

Once I thought I was covered enough not to be seen, I double checked I had my bag buried as well. Then I lay still. All there was left to do was wait.

Maybe five minutes later, voices started to get closer to me and there was a big bump against the side of the box. I guessed one of the workers had kicked it or something. Then a bigger bang sounded from the top and any light that I had had before was cut off. Luckily, the box wasn't completely airtight since I could still breathe properly.

Next thing I know, I could feel the box being lifted into the air and slowly swaying back and forth towards the ship. The men who were carrying it were talking, but their voices were too muffled to make out. Something in my gut started to stir, and I could feel myself smiling. I was getting out of there! Finally!

A few moments later, I was jostled as they dropped the box onto the deck. The footsteps started to go away and the voices got softer.

They must have spent the next few minutes loading more boxes because there were a few more bumps nearby, but then I could hear something metal rubbing against metal and all this water falling. Then men shouted and the boat started to move!

Being under the fish was really smelly and uncomfortable so I made my way back to the top. I also found a small hole in the lid of the box and some light comes through so I'm able to write in my journal. That's where I am right now, still stuck in the fish box. I hope the journey isn't very long. I want to step onto land soon. And then I'll be free.

* * *

A/N- I did not write the poem that I had in this entry. That poem, titled "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings", is written by Maya Angelou.

I'm trying my best to work up the motivation to write, so bear with me until I'm back on track!

See you in the next entry!


	16. December 10, 2004

A/N- Yay! I'm on a roll with this writing thing! :D

* * *

December 10, 2004

I think I'm going to need about a thousand baths before this fish smells goes away. I will not recommend laying in a box full of fish for a full day any time soon. Even if I do get free, no one in a one mile radius will even get close to me if this keeps up.

Just from looking outside of the box through the tiny hole makes it obvious that it's really hot outside. Being inside a box gives me shade and the fish are kept pretty cool, I think there's ice on the bottom or something, so I guess it's not all bad.

Every once in a while one of the crew will walk close by, and those are the times I really hold my breath. I don't even want to know what would happen if I got caught. Maybe they'll kill me, maybe they'll bring me back to the Doctor. To be honest, I much prefer death at the moment.

I try to ration out the food and water I stole back in the kitchen storage. I only take small sips every now and then, really only when I'm especially thirsty. When my stomach starts to growl louder than is comfortable, I eat one or two crackers. There's still plenty to eat, and I guess I could eat the fish raw if I really have to, but better safe than sorry.

I'm crazy for thinking this, but there is one thing I miss about the lab. I really have this craving for playing that piano, and I wish I could just play one song. Maybe there will be a church somewhere on the island we're going to that has one.

I just thought of something. After I escape, what am I gonna do next? I guess I have to run away for a little while, just to make sure Viper and the Doctor don't find me, but what about after? Can I actually find somewhere I could call home? Will I make friends? Will I have a family again?

Even though it's been so long, I still miss Madeline. I remember when she helped teach me to read and write. She was the nicest sister I could ever ask for, even if I didn't get to be with her that long. Every day it gets a little harder to picture her face, and that scares me.

When I get to the island, the first thing I'm going to do is clean myself up and look for some better clothes. That probably means I'll have to steal again, but I have to do what I have to to survive. I don't have Kitten or Stick or Madeline or anybody to help me anymore.

I'm all alone.

* * *

It's really hard to tell time in this box. I keep thinking it's morning or the afternoon, and then it will suddenly get dark! I think the first thing on the agenda will be taking a proper nap somewhere safe. I keep dozing off for a little while and then waking back up, so my sleep schedule is all messed up.

I can kinda hear the men on the ship through the box. Sometimes I can pick up on conversations when the voices get close enough. So far, I've been able to learn that the crew calls the ship Ol' Betsy. Eddie has a penchant for chewing tobacco, Walter can't whistle in tune to save his life, and whoever the captain is never comes down to the main deck. The crew swear a lot. And I mean a lot! I've learned a lot of new words and phrases in case I ever need to use them.

I also learned that the boat should be landing on the island in about two or three days. That's good, since I don't know how long I could last stuck in a box full of fish. I'm bored all the time.

Luckily, I still have plenty of food and water, so I won't die of starvation. That would be just great, to die in a box of fish.

* * *

A/N- Hopefully Summer will be on the island soon! :)

Please leave a review, I love hearing about what you guys think!

See you in the next entry!


	17. December 13, 2004

A/N- I know I haven't been updating in a while! I'm working on it, I promise! :)

**Akabane Karma-** I was hoping to have readers connect with Summer on a more personal level (celebrating her victories just as much as she was, etc.) so I'm glad you feel that way. :)

* * *

December 13, 2004

Finally! On land once again!

Oh my god, I'm starving! I need food, now. Once I get something to eat, I'll write down how I got off the boat. I can't write with my stomach eating me alive…

* * *

Ah, I feel so fat and happy now! If I move, I might pop!

Anyways, I promised that I would write down how I escaped Ol' Betsy. There I was, still stuck in the fish box, thinking I would have to ninja-stealth my way off the boat. You know, dead-of-night, daggers swinging, blood everywhere kinda thing. I was preparing to go out with a fight if it ended up that way. But it didn't.

The whole crew got drunk almost as soon as we landed and everyone passed out about an hour ago. So I got out of my fish box, took a few things I liked from the crew, and walked off the boat. Easy as pie.

Yeah, there were a few fishermen I passed by that gave me these really confused looks. Ok, _maybe_ I flipped a few of them off when I walked by. But besides that it went off without a hitch!

So, now I'm currently in the process of exploring the woods just outside the town. I can't exactly walk into town square smelling like a week old dead fish. People would think I'm crazy or something.

Hey, I found a stream! I'll write more after I get a bath.

* * *

Ahh, so much better. I haven't felt clean for like a week! I only spent three or four days in that box, but even then. It wasn't exactly a luxury hotel at the lab and all…The fish smell hasn't gone away completely but it's definitely an improvement.

I got to explore the town a little more, but I didn't get to see all I would have liked to. There are Marines everywhere. What's more, there's missing person's posters all over town with my face on it. I guess the Doctor found out I had escaped. I knew it was gonna happen, but now it really starts to hit me.

I think this place is called Ismara or something. It's a pretty nice town by the looks of it. There's lots of families, though the kids seem to play a little rough. There's a church, a marketplace, and a harbor for the most part. There's even some sort of festival going on!

Everyone wears masks and long robes. It makes them look like spirits of some sort. Most of the masks are animals, but there are a few people. They don't have any mouths though. Weird…

And the food! It smells amazing! I've never heard of a lot of these but just by listening, I figured them out. There's *Yakitori, *Ikayaki, and *Dango! My favorite was the *Kakigori, it was so yummy!

They strung up these cool lantern things in the trees and across the walkways. They light up and some are even drifted across this big lake by the town. It's amazing!

The only problem is...this island is so close to where the Doctor is...I can't stay. I would be found within a week or so. Maybe even a few days.

I'll stay for tomorrow, and then I'll have to steal a boat and escape.

I'm getting really tired now...I think I'll take a nap in the woods.

I can see the lanterns from here.

* * *

*Yakitori: Various kinds of grilled chicken on sticks. A popular drinking food.

*Ikayaki: Grilled squid.

*Dango: A Japanese dumpling made from rice flour.

*Kakigori: Shaved ice with syrup. (Essentially, snow cones.)

* * *

A/N-So, another entry! :D

We are now starting to get more into Summer's interaction with real people! How will she react?

See you in the next entry!


	18. December 14, 2004

A/N- I feel like I've neglected this story so much, so I'm trying to get back on track with a writing schedule. :)

Entries might start to span greater periods of time after this because the next few years is of Summer moving place to place and meeting a ton of new people. Let's face it, it would be super boring to explain every single island she went to and describe every single person she met along the way. Unless you guys want me to do it that way. Just let me know! :)

* * *

December 14, 2004

I was smart enough to steal one of those festival masks when I did. The marines have started to ask the townspeople if they've seen me. They show them my missing person's poster and everything. I don't even know where the picture came from.

Luckily, none of the citizens saw my face so the marines still don't know I'm here. Though, I have seen them asking several people to take their masks off. I need to leave soon before I'm found out.

When I first got off Ol' Betsy, I took some stuff from the crew. One of them had this cool rucksack. It was big enough to fit all my stuff in so I took it. Those things are so handy, they are pretty small when you look at it but they can fit a bunch of stuff.

I know I have to leave by tonight, so I'm scouting the harbor for any small boats I could steal. And a log pose. I keep hearing that word around here. Apparently, it's some sort of navigation thing. You can't sail anywhere around here without one.

I finally know where I am now. This ocean is called the Grand Line. There's supposed to be a huge treasure at the end of it, so there's a lot of pirates that come through here. They all look pretty worn out.

Around noon, most of the pirates were in the pub so I snuck in to listen on their conversations. I'm surprised nobody noticed a teenager sitting at the bar. Or maybe they just didn't care.

Anyway, from listening to their conversations this island is pretty early into the whole thing. I don't know how many islands there are in this stretch of ocean, but this happens to be something like the fourth or fifth island you stop at.

The pirates always talk about One Piece. When the townspeople hear someone mention it they shake their heads and chuckle, as if the whole idea is stupid. But these people are living their dreams, no matter how silly or ridiculous it might sound to others. For that, they're pretty cool.

Maybe I should try to go after it too. Then again, I'm all alone and it looks like you need a whole crew to get you anywhere in this society.

I'm fairly certain I'll find my purpose somewhere along the way. I've got my whole life ahead of me anyway.

* * *

Well, right now I'm writing this entry as they day ends. There's nothing quite like watching a sunset while you're drifting on the ocean. I hope I get to see a lot more of these in the future.

I managed to steal a boat without much trouble, though there might have been a few drunks who saw me sailing away. Hopefully they won't remember anything when they wake up.

Stealing food was just as easy too. All the times I had to do it when I was younger, that knowledge is still in my head. All I had to do was remember what Kitten always told me. Much as I hated her, she did teach me how to live off of nothing. So I guess I can thank her for something.

I have food for weeks, if I ration it out. There were lots of water bottles in the bar that I swiped, so water is good too. Hey, at least I'm not travelling in a box of fish again...

I don't know how long I'll be at sea. I wasn't able to get a map anywhere, but I do have this log pose. Several people were discussing it with some pirates and I caught some of the information. Log poses have to set before you can start sailing again, and the setting times are different for each island. You have to go on the course it takes you otherwise you'll get lost and die.

As long as it takes me away from the Doctor, anywhere is fine with me.

* * *

A/N- So, Summer is now sailing her way to a new island and the beginning of her very long nomadic way of life. :)

Hopefully you enjoy the story as it progresses, but as always leave me a review and let me know what you think should happen next and how I'm doing!

See you in the next entry!


	19. February 2, 2005

A/N- I finally found inspiration to write this! :D

* * *

February 2, 2005

This new island is pretty depressing. Everyone in the town wears black for a whole week when one person dies. Too bad they have a rather large population of elderly folks. It seems like they never wear anything else.

I managed to talk my way into getting a room at the inn. The landlord readily gave me free room once he realized I was a travelling merchant for the king of New Mibia. He had smiled widely and ushered me into the biggest suite available, jabbering on about what a beautiful country New Mibia was and how he loved to go there in the spring time.

Knowing that New Mibia didn't exist, I didn't correct him. If he thought he was making a good impression with someone close to royalty, who was I to get in the way? Besides, I really wanted to use these hot baths he kept describing.

The harbor isn't that big; I thought I counted eight or ten boats docked at one time. The seamen lounged around the harbor, more often than not by a bar, as if fishing were more of a pastime than a living. Their eyes took in their surroundings steadily, and I doubt they would ever be surprised about anything.

I landed my small boat on the opposite side of the town-the slums serve as a good cover since no one ever goes there willingly. I was able to hire a young man, too skinny for his own good, to guard the boat. Normally I would worry that someone like that would go back on their word, but when he heard my promise of 500 beli and a good meal when I came back I knew I could trust him.

He reminded me of myself, when I was still on the streets with Kat. I found I couldn't look at him for too long. It hurt too much.

* * *

My rucksack has a small hole in it. Right on the bottom. I double checked that all my stuff was there, in case I had accidentally dropped something. Thankfully, nothing was missing. I'll have to get a patch for it somewhere.

My clothes are getting too worn: my shoes are too small now, the jacket has a lot of loose thread on the sleeves, and my shirt isn't as clean as it used to be. I think a visit to a clothing store is in order, and soon.

As I write, four marines are passing me by. I'm hidden in an alley right now. These sunglasses and hat help to conceal my identity too. They didn't see me at all and kept walking. My run-ins with the marines are becoming more frequent-they occupy most of the islands I land on, but thankfully no one's recognized me up to this point.

The Doctor appeared on a news broadcast yesterday. The town center set up a large screen and projector with large speakers on either side. The mayor ordered that all citizens be in attendance, travelers and tourists included. Once everyone had gathered, the screen lit up with the face of the man I wished so badly to kill.

"Citizens of the Grand Line, this is a precautionary announcement." He said. The crowd started to murmur. "An extremely dangerous criminal has escaped confinement. The Marines are doing everything in their power to recapture this individual, but they cannot do it alone.

"It is the duty of every citizen to his country and the world to aid authority in finding this delinquent as quickly as humanly possible." My picture then appeared on the screen, accompanied by the words 'Last Known Location: Ismara.'

"She is to be considered armed and extremely dangerous. If spotted, please report your location to the nearest Marine officer. Do not, I repeat, do not attempt to interact with her or stop her yourself. Your safety is our top priority."

The screen then went black and the noise from the crowd rose in volume. I remember subtly edging towards the back of the crowd and away from the searching eyes of the people. No one's approached me or asked me any questions so I think I haven't been found out.

Now that the whole town is on edge though, it would probably be best to leave soon.

* * *

A/N- So yeah, another short one. Hopefully the next few will be a little longer.

Please leave a review and let me know how I'm doing!

See you in the next entry!


	20. February 19, 2005

A/N- So, I've really been neglecting this story mainly due to my focus on finishing The Life I Live and getting on with the sequel. Hopefully I'll be able to keep adding to this one regularly.

* * *

February 19, 2005

I think this is island...four. Four islands since my escape and I still haven't been able to get the Marines completely off my tail. It's like one person at every place I visit sees me or something and alerts the Marines to where I am.

Then never find me but they still know where I've been and could end up predicting my next move. I have to keep ahead if I'm gonna stay uncaptured.

My missing person's poster is still up everywhere, just not as much as the last few islands. The further I go the less I have to hide. Maybe, many islands from now, I can settle down and live peacefully.

* * *

I think the longest I've been able to stay on a single island has been three weeks. That was the last island I was on. The shortest has been the first one, for only a day or two.

I've been really lonely, and sometimes I try to hang out with the kids my age on the island. Mostly I just watch though. I've never really fit in with other kids, no idea why, but I just...don't feel comfortable around them. They've never treated me with kindness, why should I do the same?

Some of these kids are ruthless: several of the boys decided to steal the hot rolls from this older woman's window sill, but before they even tried they beat up another boy because he forgot to bring his pet frog to their 'meeting.'

The girl all stay in the same group, most of them braid flower crowns and color on pages. Some even bring knitting needles and chat in small circles. Their groups are much more peaceful, but just as malicious. They gossip and scorn girls behind their backs, flashing false smiles when the girls come around to talk. They all do it, and it's disgusting.

What's more, the adults aren't any different. You can see the housewives scorn the sailors when they walk by to go to the bar. The wrinkle their noses and talk about how unsightly they make the town look. They never seem to take into account how dangerous their jobs actually are. The seas are deadly.

The rich men walk around like they own the place, scoffing when children get too close to their shiny shoes and expensive things. Most of them are fat. They obviously like their food.

The only 'real' people, in a sense, are the sailors and pirates. They know society isn't kind to them and they don't care. They live how they want without anyone telling them what to do. There's always the exceptions and bad cases but overall they're pretty good people.

I heard more about this One Piece treasure at the end of the Grand Line. The entire riches of the late Pirate King, Gold Roger...It all sounds so interesting. The pirates like to boast that they'll be the ones to find it first and that they'll fulfill their dreams with the loot afterwards. I wish them luck in their journey.

* * *

A/N-As always, leave a review telling me what you thought! They really help me out!

See you in the next entry!


	21. April 25, 2005

A/N- Yeah, so really late with these new updates. I'm trying, I really am. :)

**Son of Whitebeard- **I'm glad you are looking forward to it! :)

* * *

April 25, 2005

I think I might have lost the Marines entirely. I haven't seen any of those white-coated guys in a while and there aren't as many of my missing person's posters around anymore. I don't have to hide who I am as much either; I can even walk around in the daytime without any disguises. I was getting tired of masks and wigs anyway.

This is now island seven. It's name is Emathia. It's predominantly mountains, but there's a few flat plateaus along the rocks where people have set up small villages. I asked a local, and he said there were about twelve individual villages, all interconnected by mountain tunnels and trading paths on top of the peaks. These people must be very used to high places, as I've seen them jump from the highest peaks and run down the steep cliffs that drop off into the ocean. They never stumble though.

So far, I haven't even seen one poster with my face on it. In fact, there aren't very many places here that display news or anything like that. No Marine billboards with world news, no town centers equipped with a projector and megaphone, not even a base anywhere on the island. As far as they're concerned, the Marines don't even exist, I guess. All the better for me.

* * *

The inhabitants of this island are very friendly; as soon as I landed and made the long hike up to the first village I was greeted with large bowls of fruit and a strange but sweet tasting wine. They offered cloth and what I guessed to be weapons or tools they made at their blacksmiths. I didn't want to have a method of harming them, so I turned the metal stuff down. They didn't look too sad about it, and instead took me along on a tour of their village.

The houses, more like huts, were made of straw and the sturdy wood from the trees. Inside, the floors were dirt but there were small chests and a comfy-looking grass and leaf bed. I was given my own house at the end of the road.

In the middle of the village was a large fire pit, surrounded by benches and torches in a large circle. Right now, since it's the middle of the day, there's no fire going but several women go into the hills and come back with piles of wood. The pile grew larger and larger throughout the day, until it was twice as tall as me.

We didn't speak the same language, but I quickly learned to talk by gesturing and performing actions that told them what I wanted to say. You always hear about language barriers ending up as people being roasted on the natives' fire but they were very patient and forgiving with me when I didn't quite understand what they were trying to say. They even helped teach me a few of their words.

It looks like there will be a big bonfire tonight, and I think I'll help them prepare, so I will write more when I get the chance.

* * *

These people sure do know how to have a party! I helped the women gather wood in the mountains, and they only laughed good-heartedly when I couldn't keep up with their nimble running along the sheer cliffs. After enough wood was collected, they showed me their weaving. There were hundreds of vertical strings between two wood bars, and they wove colored straw and other plant fibers in between the strings. They excelled at creating beautiful patterns with the fibers, while my attempts would only barely hold together at best.

As we wove, they pointed out the hunters leaving the village and heading farther south than I was shown. When I asked where they were going, the women drew a picture of a forest in the dirt and then a picture of a pig or boar next to it. My mouth savored at the thought of roasted pork. I haven't had a nice warm meal in a while. I've been on the sea most of my time.

Several hours later, they returned with a large boar strapped by the feet to a large branch that the men carried over their shoulders. It looked like it weighed maybe 200 or 300 pounds. Just by looking at it, there was more than enough to feed everyone.

Once it was dark, the women gathered dry grass and leaves and threw them underneath the piled wood. Lighting the fire, the flames quickly grew. Then the hunters positioned the boar to cook over the fire, with one of them turning it every so often.

I hadn't noticed there hadn't been children in the village until then, because all at once the younger members of the village burst from the houses and joined the rest in the center of the village. They laughed and played, wrestled, ran around, and all sorts of things that children do. At first I was uncomfortable with the very thought of children, but as I observed their behavior, I started to appreciate the village's culture.

Each treated the other with respect, and as equals. They laughed and played with all of them included, no one sat out on the sidelines...except for one boy.

He didn't seem like he was sad, just...alone. I wondered why this one boy was so lonely. Turning to one of the women beside me, I pointed towards the boy and asked what was wrong with him.

She gestured to me that he could not speak, only communicate through signals. I asked his name and she spelled it out in the dirt. Shikoba. She told me that it meant 'feather' in their culture. I thought that was pretty interesting, so I asked if I could go over and speak to him. She gave me permission and I walked over to him.

I gave a little wave when I sat down beside him, and he only smiled a little in return. They sat in silence, watching the others dance around the fire and the hunters begin to take off portions of the boar to give to the people.

I asked him if he enjoyed the festival type gathering that the people were having and he shrugged. I tried a few more times to communicate, but he didn't seem to want to talk. Finally, I shook my head and faced him directly.

"I want to talk with you." I told him, though he probably didn't understand what I was saying. But the thing was, he stared at me strangely, as if the force behind my words had made my intention clear. Suddenly, he moved his hands into many different shapes and motions, and the whole thing utterly confused me.

I didn't understand what he was trying to say, so I shrugged. Seeing my confusion, he pointed at me and then made a motion with his hand. Doing this several times, I finally understood that he wanted me to copy him. Mimicking his movement, he nodded happily. Then, pointing to himself, he made another motion. This time, I copied him and he smiled.

"You and me?" I asked, pointing between the two of us. He nodded, and mimicked the movement once more. "What about...flower?" I asked, pointing towards a small daisy on the ground a few feet away.

He followed where I pointed and made another sign. I copied and he nodded. It was a pattern we kept up throughout the entire night. I would point to an object and Shikoba would make a sign. Slowly, I was learning how to communicate with him. I figured with the light in his eyes, the way he seemed so happy to show me what something meant, that no one had tried to talk to him like this before.

It was really interesting to me to see what kind of world he lived in, mute and content to sit on the sidelines of the village, watching the others have fun. They passed out the boar to us, and I saw that nobody actually shunned the boy, they just didn't speak to him. However, I didn't see a single dirty or strange look towards the boy the whole time. It wasn't that he was hated, it was more like he was forgotten. People knew he was there but neither Shikoba nor the village had anything to say.

The dynamic of this village is very strange, but I'm hoping they'll let me stay for awhile. I sort of like this place.

* * *

A/N- Well, we have a new character introduced! He will appear on my Deviantart when I get the time. :)

Please, leave a review and let me know how I'm doing!

See you in the next chapter!


	22. April 27, 2005

A/N- Ok, so still a short chapter but I really needed to update this. So, here you go!

**Akabane Karma- **Yay, I love your paranoia! I feed off of it! :D Even though Summer is like 14 or 15 now, I still see her as a little eight-year-old. Is that weird? O.o

* * *

April 27, 2005

Shikoba is a really interesting person once you get to know him. He's always observing his surroundings, looking at nature and things like that. Yesterday, I caught him staring at a butterfly for ten whole minutes! Sure, he can get really distracted all the time, but he's a pretty cool guy.

He's still teaching me to use sign language and I think I've got the hang of it. Shikoba's an awesome teacher too, but he can be kinda strict sometimes. If I'm not paying attention or if I get something wrong, he'll hit me on the head. Not too hard, but enough to get me to shut up.

The village has been really wonderful! The people have pretty much accepted me into their community and it kinda feels like home. The hunters especially like my dagger. I showed it to them once and they invited me to go hunting with them sometime.

I've still got a lot to learn about their language, a lot more than the one Shikoba's teaching me, but I've learned some basic words like 'house' and 'hunt' and 'food.' I'm still working on it. Hopefully I'll stay here long enough to be able to be fluent!

Last night I had a really bad nightmare. I was running through a town and it was full of people just standing there. They didn't look at anything, just sort of gazed off into the sky. It was really creepy. I just kept running and running. I don't know why exactly, I just got this panicked feeling and I felt like I couldn't stop or something bad would happen.

I guess I was yelling in my sleep because one of the women in a nearby house shook me awake and asked if I was alright. I haven't had a nightmare that bad in a while, not since I left the lab. Whatever was chasing me in my dream, I hope it doesn't turn out to be real.

* * *

After we had another boar that night for dinner, Shikoba brought me to a waterfall on the other side of one of the cliffs. It was really hard to get up to but he made it look easy! It must have taken an hour or two to get up there but it was worth it in the end.

There was this huge waterfall, maybe three hundred feet tall. The wind was really strong and I was scared I would be blown off the cliff. Shikoba made sure to hang onto me so I didn't fall. When the wind was especially strong, he laughed at my girly screaming. What a great friend he is.

We just sat there for awhile and he taught me more words. It was really nice. I don't think I've ever seen a waterfall before and I don't think I'll ever see one that nice again. I'll have to remember it for the rest of my life.

* * *

A/N- So, another chapter gone by!

Please, leave a review and let me know how I'm doing! Your comments are greatly appreciated!

See you in the next entry!


	23. June 12, 2005

A/N- It's been absolutely forever, but I haven't given up on this story. :) Just bear with me.

**Akabane Karma-** Perhaps that's the reason, though part of it is probably because she's my OC and I care very deeply for her. :o She's like my child. MY POOR BABY, SUMMER NOOO. T.T

* * *

June 12, 2005

I've been here over a month now, and things are really starting to look up.

The people are very inviting. During my stay, they took in another set of travelers: a man and his wife traveling the world together. They didn't speak or understand the language either, but I helped translate for them.

I'm pretty good at their language now, and Shikoba helps with words I don't quite understand yet. He's still teaching me sign language too. I think both will be useful to me someday.

The log pose has long since set to the next island, but I have no intention of leaving. Marines seem to leave this place alone, as I haven't seen or even heard the word 'Marine' mentioned in my entire stay here. It's safer here than I thought. Perhaps…safe enough to call home.

I don't wanna get my hopes up and then be disappointed, so I'm still holding out for something bad to happen. With my luck, the whole place will burn down or something…

* * *

Shikoba and I have become really good friends since we met. He likes to take me exploring through the forest. There are so many different kinds of plants and animals on this island. Most of them I've never even seen before.

He likes to hike a lot, too. Especially when he can climb a hill better than I can, and then quickly make fun of me for it. Though, the waterfall has become our favorite spot on the island.

He's taken me to visit the other villages. They are just as friendly, but each one differs slightly from the others. It's so cool to see how much their culture can change just by residing in a separate part of the same island.

I've told him my name before, but he always signs 'Nizhoni' when he refers to me. Every time I ask what it means, he only shakes his head. I get the feeling he's insulting me or something. Once he wrote it in the dirt around the bonfire, and when the lady near us saw it, she just smiled like she knew something I didn't. I couldn't get her to tell me what it meant either. Everyone's so stubborn…

* * *

Today was the first time since my arrival I decided to venture off on my own. The hunters of the village thought it was a good idea, though they probably just thought I was trying to display my strength of something, and therefore thought everything regarding those lines was a good idea. The women and Shikoba were more reluctant but finally allowed me to leave the village. I promised to be back by the bonfire and set off.

Right now, they are probably preparing the fire, but I'm not quite ready to go back yet. I wanted to sit and think about things by myself.

Should I stay with them? If I leave, there's no returning. The log pose doesn't work that way. Would the next island be safer? Friendlier? More like a home? I still feel like an outsider, mainly because I'm the only person who still doesn't understand a majority of the language, and they still treat me like a special guest or something.

Every day felt like the one before. There was no defining line between one day and the next. They all seemed to blend together. It's a wonder I've kept track of time so far, otherwise I would probably have been so lost by now.

I don't know if I could live here for the rest of my life. I still want to experience life. Yes, the Doctor and Viper will always remain a problem to me, but that doesn't mean I'll give up living for the sake of being 'safe.' I refuse to let them dictate how I will live.

There's a lot I need to think about….

The sunset looks so beautiful. I think I'll just sit and watch it for awhile.

* * *

A/N- Still kinda short, but hey, it's still something. :P

Please leave a review and let me know how you are liking the story! If you absolutely hate it, why are you still here? :o There are plenty of wonderful stories out there for your enjoyment! :D

Don't forget to read my blog! Link's on my profile!

See you in the next entry!


	24. August 12, 2005

A/N- Well, it's been awhile for an update here, hasn't it? Sorry for neglecting it so much, but here's another chapter for you!

* * *

August 12, 2005

Isi, one of the village mothers, invited me to help weave baskets with her, and I've gotten pretty good at it. In fact, I'm almost up to the island women's standards. They don't shake their heads and laugh at my attempts anymore. That's reassuring.

I think I've basically got the language down, there are a few complicated words that I can't quite get, but they seem really proud of me! It's great to feel included a little, like they're a family.

I still don't know what 'Nizhoni' means. No one will tell me, and now I'm pretty sure they are just making fun of me behind my back. Why else wouldn't they explain what it meant?

I've been really bad at writing in my journal lately. Sometimes I'll spend all day exploring the island by myself and then forget to write about anything I saw. This place is really beautiful. There's lots of waterfalls and high cliffs and animals of all kinds. It's kind of amazing that it's been left basically untouched. I can't imagine what it would look like with buildings and roads and all that city stuff. I'd be pretty disappointed if everything was modernized.

Which reminds me. The place is great and all, but using just water to wash my hair isn't doing anything for me. Shower by waterfall feels awesome, but frizzy and brittle hair afterwards doesn't.

Oh yeah. That tourist couple is still here. They decided they loved the island too and they are camping a mile or so down the hill from the village. We don't see much of them, but they come up and trade fruits with the mothers sometimes.

Shikoba is waving me over, so I'll write later.

* * *

Who knew that you could use snake skin to make weapon grips? Well, now I know how to do it. It's not as easy as it looks, and the hunters made it look like a piece of cake. They could skin a snake with one swipe of their knives. They kept trying to teach me, but I really sucked at first. I almost cut my finger off once. Luckily the blade missed my hand.

Shikoba's been acting kind of strange today. In fact, he's started being all weird the past few days or so. Sometimes he won't look at me, or he'll look away really fast. He's even been avoiding me for a whole day at a time. Once I saw him sneak into the forest way early in the morning. I thought about going after him but I was still tired from sleep.

I don't know what's going on, but I'm thinking about asking the next time something weird happens.

I was watching the ocean from a really tall mountain today and I could have sworn I saw a ship. It was really far out there, but I swear it was there. I'm not crazy! It was hard to make out, but it might have a been a marine ship. They have that green pattern on the bottom of all their ships. Maybe I was just imagining it, but I'm still gonna keep my guard up.

* * *

Shikoba insisted we spend the whole day together after skinning those snakes. We used to hang out all the time, and I really started to miss that. He took me to see the shoreline at the bottom of the mountain. Along the way we saw so many different types of animals. He would always chase them away when I got scared.

We went to the water and played around for awhile. The water was freezing! He kept splashing me so I did it back and we ended up getting soaked. It was starting to get dark so he made us a fire and sat by it to dry and warm it.

Right now, he's in the forest getting up dinner. I decided to write about everything that was happening because I've been forgetting and I don't want Madeline's notebook to go to waste. I still miss her a lot, but the pain isn't so bad anymore. Sometimes I even forget to think about her at all. I'm not sure if that's a good thing actually, but I should be able to move on, right? Is it bad for me to feel happy sometimes?

I haven't told anyone about what's happened to me. They are really great people and all, but everything that's in the past…I don't think I'll ever be able to actually explain it. How would I even bring up that conversation? 'Yeah, hi, so…I've basically been a walking lab rat for the past year or so and I'm insane. But, we're friends, right?' I'm pretty sure they would just kill me or something.

Ha, I just looked up at the sky and noticed the moon is full. That means the crazies are out, according to that stupid saying everyone talks about. Is that even true? Maybe I was born on a full moon since my life is so upside down. Yeah, that's it. I'm cursed. Or haunted. One of the two.

Maybe I should just change my name and get plastic surgery to fix my face up to where no one would recognize me. Oh, but I don't have any money. That would be kind of hard. I could steal it, but I hate to do that to innocent people if I really don't have to.

Oh, I can hear Shikoba coming back. Good, because I'm starving!

* * *

I…don't know what to feel right now.

When he came back, he had a couple rabbits he had caught. We cooked them and ate them. After that we just sat there and watched the sky. Then…he told me he loved me…

He said he wanted me to stay forever. I finally know what Nizhoni means…He's been calling me beautiful this whole time. I guess calling a girl that in this village means a guy is trying to…court her. Nobody told me anything, and so I had no idea.

He held my hands and made me look in his eyes. I didn't know what to do! He doesn't even know anything about me and is asking me to stay with him forever. What if Viper or the Marines catch up with me and they hurt or kill the villagers? I don't want to put anyone in any danger, and he's asking me to be risking all of their lives.

I just ran away from him…I didn't even give him an answer. I was crying…I'm still crying, and I didn't want to feel whatever it was that he was making me feel. I guess I should probably know what it's called.

Guilt. That's a good word. It hurts a lot, though.

A few times I heard him calling Nizhoni out into the forest. He was looking for me, but I was too afraid to see him again. I don't even know if I know how to love someone. What if I just hurt him anyway?

…I can't stay here. I have to leave tonight. The log pose has been set for months now and my boat is still docked on the island. At least, I hope so.

I just don't think I can face any of them ever again. It would hurt too much.

* * *

I snuck into the village to get the rest of my stuff. Shikoba was waiting on the side of the village he thought I would come back from. He probably wanted to talk to me, but I went around and snuck in the other side. When I came back outside from the tent, he wasn't anywhere I could see. I started back out towards where the shore was, but there was a little girl standing there. She saw me, but just stared. I kept looking back at her. What if she screamed and alerted the village I was there? They were probably looking for me. Who knew if they would welcome me back so eagerly like before. I put a finger to my mouth to tell the girl to be silent, and she nodded back. I was surprised, but I left before anything could go wrong.

When I got down to the shore, my boat was gone. It looked like the rope I had it tied to had been cut. It wasn't ragged like a snap. It was a clean edge. Maybe Shikoba cut it so I wouldn't be able to leave.

Then I remembered the tourist couple that came awhile ago. They still had their boat docked a mile or two down the shore. I felt really bad about taking it, but I just couldn't feel like I had betrayed the village, and Shikoba, any longer. They could deal with it themselves when the time came.

The boat was a lot different than mine, a little more complicated. I was still able to cast off and get to sea, but I still have to get used to the controls. After I cast off, I explored the inside. It had a closed deck with a small bed and a pantry. There was still food inside, so I know I have rations for at least a week. I hope the next island comes pretty quick, because I don't want to die at sea.

…I'm gonna miss Shikoba. He was a good friend.

* * *

A/N- A sad departure, but a necessary one. If all things went the way Summer wanted it, she wouldn't have left and therefore wouldn't have met our lovely Heart Pirates! But, Shikoba was a lovely character, wasn't he? He will be dearly missed.

Please, don't forget to leave a review! I can only get better with your critiques, right? :D

See you in the next entry!


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